By Tony Fairbairn
- Defending champion Jessica Pegula returns to defend her champion with Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek also featuring.
- Top Seeds: Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva
- British Interest: Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu
MONTREAL, CANADA – Defending champion Jessica Pegula returns to Canada as Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek aims to continue her recent momentum.
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[1] Coco Gauff
Best Result: Quarter-Final (2022, 2023)
After winning Roland Garros, it’s been two consecutive losses for Gauff who will be chasing a second US Open title next month.
Gauff’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Danielle Collins | H2H: First Meeting
- R3: Olga Danilovic [29] | H2H: First Meeting
- R4: Diana Shnaider [14] | H2H: Shnaider leads 1-0
- QF: Jasmine Paolini [7] | H2H: Tied at 2-2
- SF: Mirra Andreeva [4] | H2H: Gauff leads 4-0
- F: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Swiatek leads 11-4
A blockbuster second round clash against compatriot Danielle Collins could be on the horizon for Gauff in a tough draw for the top seed. A fourth round clash against either Sofia Kenin, Diana Shnaider or Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko will put Gauff’s hard court skillset to the test. A quarter-final against Jasmine Paolini will prepare Gauff for a semi-final encounter against Andreeva or Elena Rybakina. Ultimately Gauff will need to be at her very best to overcome a tough draw as she looks to regain her confidence ahead of a US Open campaign that she will fancy her chances as a title contender.
[2] Iga Swiatek
Best Result: Semi-Final (2023)
After a poor season by her standards, a Wimbledon title has sparked Swiatek’s season into life and will hope to continue the momentum into the North American hard court season.
Swiatek’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Yulia Putintseva | H2H: Swiatek leads 4-1
- R3: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova [27] | H2H: Swiatek leads 2-0
- R4: Clara Tauson [16] | H2H: Swiatek leads 2-0
- QF: Madison Keys [6] | H2H: Swiatek leads 5-2
- SF: Jessica Pegula [3] | H2H: Swiatek leads 6-5
- F: Coco Gauff [1] | H2H: Swiatek leads 11-4
It’s a fairly comfortable first few rounds even if Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Clara Tauson can provide tricky tests on their day. In the quarter-finals Australian Open champion Madison Keys could await although Belinda Bencic and Karolina Muchova will threaten that prospect of the match happening. Then a semi-final against defending champion Pegula or a Wimbledon rematch against Amanda Anisimova could be on the cards before the final. If Swiatek plays aggressive and proactive tennis then she could be the favourite to win the tournament although it wouldn’t be too surprising if fatigue halted her progress in Canada.
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[3] Jessica Pegula
Best Result: Champion (2024)
Defending champion Pegula arrives in Canada in mixed form and will need to step up her level of play if she wants to defend her ranking points from last year with a Cincinnati and US Open final also left to defend.
Pegula’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Maria Sakkari | H2H: Pegula leads 6-5
- R3: Magda Linette [25] | H2H: Pegula leads 3-0
- R4: Liudmila Samsonova [13] | H2H: Pegula leads 4-2
- QF: Amanda Anisimova [5] | H2H: Pegula leads 3-0
- SF: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Swiatek leads 6-5
- F: Coco Gauff [1] | H2H: Pegula leads 4-2
A tough opening round awaits for Pegula with Maria Sakkari gradually improving her form at the right time of the season. After a third round match against Magda Linette, the American could have a very difficult fourth round match against either Liudmila Samsonova, Naomi Osaka or Jelena Ostapenko. Before reaching the final, Pegula may have to go through both Wimbledon finalists in a section of the draw that has players that can hit the American off the court. That could mean that this title defence could be very tough especially if Pegula doesn’t hit the right tune in the first couple of rounds.
[4] Mirra Andreeva
Best Result: N/A
After a sensational season, Andreeva will aim to keep her consistently high level up as she will see an opportunity for a first Grand Slam title at the US Open next month.
Andreeva’s Path to the Final (Ranking/Seeding)
- R1: BYE | H2H: N/A
- R2: Bianca Andreescu [WC] | H2H: First Meeting
- R3: McCartney Kessler [28] | H2H: First Meeting
- R4: Daria Kasatkina [15] | H2H: Tied at 1-1
- QF: Emma Navarro [8] | H2H: Andreeva leads 2-0
- SF: Coco Gauff [1] | H2H: Gauff leads 4-0
- F: Iga Swiatek [2] | H2H: Andreeva leads 2-1
Should Bianca Andreescu recover from her ankle injury, then a tough opening match awaits Andreeva in the form of the former US Open champion. In the third round Andreeva could face Washington champion Leylah Fernandez while Daria Kasatkina likely waits in the last 16. A quarter-final showdown with either Rybakina or Emma Navarro will await before a potential semi-final with Gauff. If Andreeva can overcome a tricky start to the tournament then her confident level can defeat any player in the draw especially in the latter stages.
WTA Montreal begins on the 27th of July and concludes on the seventh of August.
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